We only had one full day to explore the UNESCO heritage listed sand island that is K'gari, so on Friday we signed up for the day long 4WD "Beauty Spots" tour organised by our Kingfisher Bay Resort. There are no sealed roads on the island - just winding, uneven, sandy tracks through the bush and forests. It's hard going for a purpose built 4WD bus - even more hair raising in a car!
First stop on the tour was "Central Station", the site of the old logging camp on the island but now a protected area of remnant rain forest and a sacred site for the original custodians of the island - the Butchulla people.
Our guide introduced here to the impact of logging on this pristine environment and its original inhabitants, prior to its declaration as a National Park, a UNESCO site and the grant of native title to the Butchulla people in 2014. It was a lot to take in - along with gaining an understanding of the unique geology and the environmental forces creating the largest sand island in the world!
We were fascinated by the Satinay trees. Unique to K'gari they are the only tree in the world resistant to marine borers. Back in the day Satinay timber was used to construct the Suez Canal and the Port of London. The old trees were massive, wide enough in girth to fit up to 35 people on their remnant stumps after harvesting. There are very few old growth Satinay trees left on the island now, although logging ceased a couple of decades ago. It's a miracle there are any left at all.
There are a lot of freshwater creeks on the island, thanks to the rain and ancient and extensive aquifers under the sand layers. The water is so clear that with their sandy base they look like a ribbon of whiteness through the bush - very different to the way creeks that we're used to look.
We made it over to the east side of the island, facing out to the Coral Sea, at Eurong, where we stopped for an early lunch at the K'gari Resort (which was much more basic than its sister resort on the western side of the island). Eurong is where there is ready access to the iconic 75 mile beach - the main 4WD "highway" and "airport" of the island, easy going for our bus after navigating the rough sandy tracks through the main part of the island.
We were offered the chance along the beach to take a short flight to enjoy a bird's eye view of the island's attractions. There were only 7 seats available on this impromptu flight and we were lucky enough to take 2 of them (and pay for the pleasure of course)!
75 miles of beach!
The fast disappearing Lake Wabby ..........
.......and the beautiful Lake McKenzie.
The look of sheer delight!........
..... looking South.
The 4WD highway (maximum speed 40klms per hour apparently).
You really feel every bump in the sand landing in a tiny plane like this!
That was all such a thrill for us!!
We rejoined our bus at the site of the Maheno wreck, a significant landmark along 75 mile beach. Stranded here in 1935, only the rusted top deck of this massive 6 deck ship is visible these days.
We drove as far north as "The Pinnacles" - an outcrop of limestone pillars with layers of coloured sands created by natural forces.
Heading back south we stopped off at a popular gathering spot for locals and tourists at Eli Creek, the largest freshwater stream on the island.
Its very popular (by Instagram standards) to walk to this bridge, along the boardwalk, and then float down Eli Creek to where is flows into the ocean.
It was crowded today - and as Eli Creek is only very shallow (but crystal clear); it would have been almost impossible to "float" down it at all.
- but it's very popular anyway!! You can't swim in the ocean off 75 mile beach (too many sharks and stingers) so all those holiday markers have to cool off some how.
We were lucky to get a dingo sighting along the beach heading south. We saw a family group in full play mode circling the stationary vehicles. They're very food focussed and always on the lookout for something to eat - but human dingo interaction is forbidden on K'gari these days - for very good reasons.
Last stop of the day was at beautiful Lake McKenzie, where we had time for a dip in its warm, crystal clear waters.
I love swimming in water this warm and clear.
It had been a wonderful easy day of stunning sight seeing on this amazing island - and we topped it off with an other session at the Sunset Bar that night, and another stunning K'gari sunset.
On our last morning on the island we took quite a long sweaty walk up to the Sandy Strait Lookout which forms the backdrop to the Kingfisher Bay Resort grounds.
I saw huge manta rays lolling about n the ocean off the beach; others in our light plane saw sharks swimming beneath them in the clear turquoise waters of the Coral Sea. It was amazing.
We were struck by the hug gums along the track dropping these large strips of brilliantly coloured bark
We enjoyed a leisurely morning around the pool afterwards - and lunch, before boarding the ferry back to the mainland at River Head. We had an hour and a half drive ahead of us, further north to Bundaberg, our next stop on this Queensland road trip.
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